'Carrie's Sneakiest Easter Egg Puts This Horror Franchise In The Same Universe
Mike Flanagan's Carrie (2026) explores Stephen King's first novel in a TV show format and brings the setting to the modern day. This also means there are lore changes that enhance what was introduced decades ago, both in the source material and Brian De Palma's iconic 1976 movie.
A great example of this is the changes to Carrie's mom, Margaret, whose job in the series has a sneaky connection to Sam Riami's Evil Dead universe. Ironically, King and Raimi have a history, and it's something that's rarely discussed. The Easter egg is so on-the-nose that it could also connect both worlds in a fun and simple way
Margaret White Has the Same Job as Ash Williams
As far as the film Carrie (1976) is concerned, Margaret White appears as nothing more than a religious fanatic who is a part-time seamstress. However, in King's novel, she works at a laundromat to make ends meet. It's a great way to humanize her cruelty, but it isn't as key to her character as her religious beliefs.
In the Carrie series, Margaret instead works at S-Mart, as proved by her work uniform, which is appropriately stamped with the famous slogan, "Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart." In Army of Darkness (1992), we learn that S-Mart was also where Ash Williams worked and is also where he returns after getting back to the future. It's easily a surprise for horror fans and one that makes little to no sense if you don't know the history between King and the Evil Dead franchise.
Stephen King and 'The Evil Dead' Share a Fun History
The Evil Dead (1981) changed horror and gore forever. While it was more violent than many anticipated, King was quickly taken aback by how good the film was, calling it "the most ferociously original horror film of the year." Because of how much King loved The Evil Dead, the movie even got a wider release after film festivals and started what has since become one of the biggest horror franchises ever.
That said, when Raimi's second film, Crimewave (1985), struggled at the box office, it was incredibly difficult for him to get funding for an Evil Dead sequel. When word got to King, all it took was a phone call to ensure the film could happen, and we got Evil Dead II (1987). Weirdly enough, while it's not an overly exciting story, it is interesting how a single phone call could change the course of horror history and forever connect King to such a great franchise.
Is 'Carrie' Connected to 'The Evil Dead'?
Aside from S-Mart being an Easter egg, Carrie stands entirely on its own as a series, and there are no connections to any Necronomicon or Kandarian Dagger. That said, the world is a big place, and in a canon where a young girl has telekinetic abilities, it wouldn't be far-fetched to see this as a simple confirmation that the Evil Dead universe exists in Carrie's.
The Evil Dead has appeared in other franchises like Friday the 13th, so it wouldn't be out of the question to assume Carrie also exists in the same universe. By subtly showing S-Mart as Margaret's place of work, it opens an even wider door, as any fan of Stephen King knows how wildly connected his canon is, and adding the Evil Dead is a massive surprise.
